08
Oct
2025
Table Of Content
Yes, the name on a Southwest Airline flight can be changed, however only in certain conditions like a simple mistake in spelling or a change in the legal name due to the, marriage or divorce. No change or transfer of complete name to another individual is permitted and the information on your ticket should be the same as that on your official identification. To make a significant change to the name, passengers must call Southwest Airlines at 1 (800) 435-9792 / 1 (888) 737-0007. The representative will guide you with the process.
Name change request can be made through ?Manage My Booking? or via phone. Where for major changes to the name, one must connect with the airline?s representative over the phone.
Using the Southwest Website
It is possible to make corrections online on your name with the following steps:
By Contacting Customer Service
On more complicated corrections of name or legal name change, please contact southwest airlines directly. To rectify the name by calling the customer service, you must follow the procedures as stated below:
Using either of these procedures can assist in making sure that the name on your ticket is the same name as supported by your government issued ID that you need to travel.
Southwest Airlines understands that passengers are at times required to make amends or change names on tickets if they make mistakes or because of legal factors. The company has a policy of allowing some name changes/ corrections in case of certain conditions. The following are some of the key points surrounding the name change policy of the airline:
These guidelines will make the person stay in line and overcome the problems in traveling.
In renaming your name in the southwest airlines ticket, it is best to know and be conversant with their own terms and conditions so that the request may run smoothly. Some of the most important terms and conditions that one should remember in order to proceed with the request of changing the name with the airline are the following:
No Full Name Transfers:
Southwest airline does not allow transfer of a ticket to another passenger. The original passenger may only have small corrections in the name or have legal change of name in the original ticket.
Eligible Name Changes:
As per the southwest airlines change name on ticket rule, the corrections are restricted to correcting spelling mistakes, typing mistakes or revising your name following legal adjustments of marriage, divorce, or court order.
Proof Required for Legal Changes:
To verify the change, there should be a valid documentation in the case of a legal change of the name such as a marriage certificate, a court order, or an ID issued by the government.
Changes Subject to Verification:
Any corrections done on names must be approved by Southwest Airlines and this might have to be verified first.
Timing Restrictions:
Corrections to the name should be made early enough in advance to the flight. Alterations done nearby may not be accommodated.
Fees:
The Southwest Airlines does not usually impose a fee to minor corrections in names, however, depending on the situation and type of fare, policies may differ.
No Changes after Check-in:
Requesting changes of name is also not possible at the counters at the airport once the check-in has been made.
These terms help to underline the significance of the proper name entry at the booking stage and describe the steps and limitations to make changes to the names on the tickets on Southwest Airlines.
The following are examples of a few occasions when you may be required to seek a name change or correction in accordance to your Southwest ticket:
These situations include widespread and accepted reasons to change the name on Southwest Airlines tickets, and it is to make sure that it does not disrupt the travel but rather keeps the TSA and airline policies.
In order to update your ticket because of a legal name change, Southwest Airlines needs to be provided with credible documents to prove your new name. The commonly accepted documents are:
The documents might be submitted through an email to the customer care of Southwest airlines or in offices or counter in the ticket offices. The documentation gives the airline a chance to confirm and correct the name of the passenger to be used in the official identification to enable him to travel.
There are certain requirements in Southwest Airlines that define when you can request the full change of name or merely the correction of name on your ticket. The following table brings out the eligibility criteria of both:
|
Conditions for Name Change Eligibility |
Conditions for Name Correction Eligibility |
|
Allowing legal change of name, on marriage, divorce or court order with valid document such as a marriage certificate or a court decree. |
Permitted small typographical errors and misspellings in the first, middle or surname. |
|
Demands one to provide supporting documents (such as government-issued IDs with old and new names). |
Alterations of 3 characters in name spelling are acceptable without documentation. |
|
Name change demands issue of new tickets and paying the difference of fare, in case of any. |
Correction of names normally does not take a fee when done within 24 hours of booking or when done with minor corrections. |
|
Ticket can not be fully transferred to another individual in accordance with the policy of changing the name. |
Correction of name may be made online, through a call, email, social media or even at Southwest ticket counters provided the name is eligible. |
|
Legal name changes take more time and checking procedure in comparison to the minor corrections. |
The corrections can be made easily and in a very short time with minimal documentation. |
|
Should be completed before checking-in, must be passenger name that matches government-issued ID upon travelling. |
It is recommended that passengers should correct the names on time to prevent the problems of check-in and boarding. |
The table is a summary of the policy differences at Southwest between the eligibility requirements of a legally altering the name on a ticket and performing minor name corrections due to errors or omissions.
Southwest Airlines has certain policies on various kinds of name changes or corrections in flight ticket. The most typical situations include the following:
First or Middle Name Correction in Southwest
Corrections to minor errors such as corrections of typos, middle names that have been omitted or initials are normally free provided that corrections are made within a restricted range of characters (usually three or four characters). These may be via the website, telephone, or at the airport.
Last Name Addition or Correction in Southwest
Changing or adding a last name under minor spelling mistakes or omissions is favorable under the minor correction rules. Nonetheless, the legal adjustments like alteration of the last name upon marriage or divorce must be documented and possibly verified.
First and Last Names are Inverted on the Southwest Ticket
In case of changing or reversing the first and last names, Southwest provides the opportunity to make changes after a request but passengers should show identification in case of verifying of the correct sequence of names. This is regarded as a small correction in case no other spelling corrections are required.
Southwest Airlines Name Change After Marriage
In case of change of name after marriage, legal evidence like marriage certificate is necessary. This can be regarded as a legal name change as opposed to a minor correction and may need dealing with submissions and contacting the customer service to handle it. The reissue of the ticket may attract charges or differences in fares.
Name Change for Rapid Rewards Policy
Southwest Rapid Rewards program members have the option to change the name of their account in the event of a legal change like marriage or divorce by providing the relevant legal documents. They allow minor corrections in name, and legal changes of names in Rapid Rewards accounts, which can be done online or by calling the customer service.
It is a systematic way by which Southwest can stay safe and offer flexibility to the customers who might wish to update their travel papers with official identification.
The southwest airlines name change fee information is discussed below in the table:
|
Type of Name Change/Correction |
Fee Details |
Additional Notes |
|
Minor Name Corrections |
Usually no fee |
Allowed up to 3-4 character edits and can be done online or through the customer service. |
|
Name Correction Within 24 Hours of Booking |
Free |
Name correction is free if corrected within 24 hours of booking. |
|
Name Correction After 24 Hours of Booking |
$80 to $200 |
Fee range depends on timing and fare class. |
|
Legal Name Changes |
No specific name change fee is charged, but fare difference may apply to the passenger. |
To proceed with this change you need to submit the legal documentation such as marriage certificate, divorce decree, or the court order. |
|
Complete Name Change |
Not allowed; requires ticket cancellation and new booking |
Ticket are non-transferable and if you need to change then you need to cancel the booking and book a new ticket. |
|
Rebooking or Cancellation Due to Name Change |
Fare difference applies if ticket cancellation and rebooking |
Depends on current fares at time of rebooking. |
Note: Fees are subject to change at the time of requesting the changes.
Southwest Airlines enables customers to correct their names with minor mistakes at no cost. These involve correction of typographical mistakes up to three characters in the first name, reversed names, the addition or removal of middle or initials and the addition or subtraction of prefixes or suffixes. These are minor corrections which may be requested at any time even after 24 hours of booking at no fee. Nevertheless, in the case of legal name change occasioned by marriage, divorce, and other legitimate reasons, passengers are required to submit suitable supporting evidence and any difference in fare may be chargeable in case of reissuance of tickets. No transfers of tickets to a different person are permissible. On the one hand, the correction of minor names is free, whereas the legal or significant changes of names may be charged or have different fares.
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Frequently Asked Questions?
Yes, Southwest airlines will enable you to correct minor misspellings of the name, like typos or wrong letters. These minor mistakes can be normally fixed online or by reaching customer support. Remember that change of legal names will involve supporting documents.
In case your name is misspelled in your ticket, you need to demand that the spelling be corrected as soon as possible via the online system of Southwest or its customer service department. Small mistakes in spelling are corrected at no cost and this way your ticket name will match your government identity without inconveniences at the airport.
In order to change your letter in your name on Southwest such as adding or removing a letter, you can follow the change with the help of the “Manage My Booking” feature of the site where you can do some free changes. In case of any problems, it will be beneficial to contact the customer care of Southwest and get the correction done.
Yes, you are able to modify your Southwest Airlines ticket in case you used a nickname. The ticket name must be an exact match between the legal name and the ID that was issued by the government on the passenger, hence, in case you used a nickname rather than your legal name, you must amend it to the match the ID before traveling. The airline permits minor corrections on names, but not a complete change of name to a new name.
The first or last name can be corrected by requesting a name correction via either the Southwest site or customer service. Corrections that are minor are free and might need evidence in case of a legal change of name.
